Calcium (Ca²⁺) plays an important role in determining plant growth and development because it maintains cell wall and
membrane integrity. Therefore, understanding the role of Ca2+ in carbon and lipid metabolism could provide insights
into the dynamic changes in cell membranes and cell walls during the rapid elongation of cotton fibers. In the present
study, we found that the lack of Ca²⁺ promoted fiber elongation and rapid ovule expansion, but it also caused tissue
browning in the ovule culture system. RNA-sequencing revealed that Ca²⁺ deficiency induced cells to be highly oxidized,
and the expression of genes related to carbon metabolism and lipid metabolism was activated significantly. All gene
members of nine key enzymes involved in glycolysis were up-regulated, and glucose was significantly reduced in Ca²⁺
deficiency-treated tissues. Ca²⁺ deficiency adjusted the flowing of glycolysis metabolic. However, low K⁺ recovered
the expression levels of glycolysis genes and glucose content caused by Ca2+ deficiency. Electrospray ionizationtandem
mass spectrometry technology was applied to uncover the dynamic profile of lipidome under Ca²⁺ and K⁺
interacted conditions. Ca²⁺ deficiency led to the decrease of fatty acid (FA), diacylglycerol (DAG), glycolipid and the
significant increase of triacylglycerol (TAG), phospholipid phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG),
and PC (phosphatidylcholine). Low K⁺ restored the contents of FA, phospholipids, and glycolipids, effectively relieved
the symptoms caused by Ca²⁺ deficiency, and recovered the development of fiber cells. This study revealed dynamic
changes in transcript and metabolic levels and uncovered the signaling interaction of Ca²⁺ deficiency and low K⁺ in
glycolysis and lipid metabolism during fiber development.

The panicle architecture and grain size of rice affect not only grain yield but also grain quality, especially grain appearance. The erect-panicle (EP) trait controlled by the qpe9-1/dep1 allele has been widely used in high-yielding japonica rice breeding, but usually accompanied with moderate appearance of milled rice. The null gs9 allele shows a good potential for improving grain shape and appearance. However, GS9 and qPE9-1/DEP1 loci are tightly linked, and their interaction is unclear, which obviously restricts their utilization in modern rice breeding. In the present study, comparative analyses of protein and mRNA levels revealed that GS9 and qPE9-1 function independently. Three near-isogenic lines (NILs) carrying various allelic combinations of these two loci, NIL (gs9/qpe9-1), NIL (GS9/qPE9-1) and NIL (gs9/qPE9-1), in the EP japonica cultivar 2661 (GS9/qpe9-1) background were developed for genetic interaction analysis. GS9 and qPE9-1 had additive effects on determining grain size, and the null gs9 allele could decrease grain chalkiness and improve grain appearance without affecting plant and panicle architecture in EP japonica cultivars. Additionally, introgression lines (ILs) developed in another released EP japonica cultivar Wuyujing 27 (WYJ27) background showed the same additive effect and the feasibility of utilizing the gs9 allele to improve grain appearance quality in high-yielding EP cultivars. This study provides an effective strategy for rice breeders to improve rice grain appearance in EP japonica and related cultivars.

Luteolin is an active ingredient found early from Folium perillae and Flos lonicerae, and has a specific inhibition on phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) activity in vitro. Researches show luteolin has pharmacological effects of anti-inflammation, anti-anaphylaxis, antitumor, antioxidant, protection of nervous system and so on, and has mainly been used for the treatment of respiratory inflammatory diseases, cancer and cardiovascular disease in clinic. PDE4, specific to hydrolyze cyclic AMP (cAMP), is considered to be a new anti-inflammatory target due to the decisive role on cAMP signal in inflammatory cells such as neutrophils. In order to explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism, we further studied the effects of luteolin on the activity and expression of PDE4, the expression of lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) and macrophage-1 (MAC-1) in neutrophils, and the adhesion of neutrophils and endothelial cells. The results showed that luteolin had a dose-dependent inhibition on both bare PDE4 activity and PDE4 in cultured neutrophils, and had an obviously promotive effect on gene expressions of PDE4A, 4B and 4D in later period. Luteolin had a significant inhibitory effect on neutrophils adhesion and LFA-1 expression in early stage, and had no obvious effect on MAC-1 expression. Therefore, luteolin can inhibit LFA-1 expression of neutrophils, then inhibit the adhesion of neutrophils and endothelial cells, and the mechanism is at least related with the inhibition of PDE4 activity.

Pulsatilla decoction is a famous traditional Chinese herbal formula for clearing heat and treating dysentery of animals or human. To elucidate its mechanism, many active components have been studied, however, the roles of its polysaccharides still remain unclear. This study aimed to explore effects of polysaccharides from Pulsatilla decoction (PPD) on the microvascular endothelial glycocalyx (eGC). The polysaccharides were extracted from PPD by water extraction and alcohol precipitation method. Mice were administered with PPD for 4 wk, and were then anesthetized with ether inhalation and were fixed by cardiac perfusion with gradient concentration alcian blue solution. The jejunum was sampled and jejunal mucosa was prepared for ultrathin sections by routine method and was analyzed by transmission electron microscope. The results indicated that the eGC was observed as a strong electron-dense smooth linear margin or nonuniform conglomerates coating cell membranes, and PPD significantly increased its thickness from (21.85±1.87) to (28.71±3.61) nm and improved its integrity. This study suggested that PPD may express their biological activities and protect against pathogenic factor damages by influencing the eGC.

We studied the effect of baicalin, an extract from Radix Scutellariae (a traditional Chinese medicine) in inducing mouse pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (MPMVECs) to produce interferons (IFNs). MPMVECs were cultured in vitro in the presence of different concentrations of baicalin (10, 20, and 30 μg mL-1), and the cells and the culture media were harvested at various time intervals. The proteins and mRNA levels (relative to β-actin) of IFN-α/β and IFN-γ were analyzed by RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). It was observed that baicalin substantially up-regulated the expression of IFN-α/β and IFN-γ. In all baicalin-treated groups, the relative levels of IFN-α/β and IFN-γ mRNAs peaked after 12 h of culturing, and IFN-α/β and IFN-γ proteins peaked after 24 h of culturing. These results suggest that baicalin can effectively induce the expression of IFNs in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells, and thus potentially act as an antiviral compound. This study may provide background information for developing new antiviral drugs based on baicalin.

As one member of the Ras super family, Rheb is an upstream regulator of mTOR signaling pathway, which regulates the process of cell-growth, proliferation and differentiation. In order to study the relationship between Rheb and mTOR in Inner Mongolian Cashmere goat (Capra hircus) cells, Ras homolog enriched in brain (Rheb) gene cDNA was amplified by RT-PCR. It is 555 bp in length and includes the complete ORF encoding 184 amino acids (GenBank accession no. HM569224). The full cDNA nucleotide sequence has a 99% identity with that of sheep, 98% with cattle and 93% with human while their amino acids sequence shares identity with 98, 97 and 97% of them, correspondingly. The bioinformatics analysis showed that Rheb has a Ras family domain, two casein kinase II phosphorylation sites, two ATP/GTP-binding sites motif A (P-loop), a prenyl group binding site (CAAX box). Tissue-specific expression analysis performed by semiquantitative RT-PCR. The Rheb gene was expressed in all the tested tissues and the highest level of mRNA accumulation was detected in brain, suggesting that Rheb played an important role in goat cells.

A field experiment with rice-rice rotation was conducted since 2002 in southeast China for investigating the response of soil microbial properties to intensive nitrogen fertilizer application. The tested soil was a subtropical paddy soil derived from Quaternary red clay. Differences between treatments existed in different application rates of urea when the experiment was designed. Urea was applied in five rates, i.e., 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 U, equivalent to 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 times the local average amount of urea application (900 kg urea ha-1 yr-1, equivalent to 414 kg N ha-1 yr-1). In 2007, soil total nitrogen, available nitrogen, and soil organic carbon contents were increased by 10.2-27.9, 8.0-16.0, and 10.2-30.6%, respectively, in treatments with urea application rates of 0.5 to 2 U compared to control (0 U). Microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen were also increased by 3.1-30.8 and 1.3-13.9%, respectively, in treatments with urea application. Basal respiration in treatments with urea input were 9.4-29.1% higher than that in control. However, changes of bacterial functional diversity had different trends. Urea fertilization enhanced bacterial functional diversity until treatment of 1 U, but re-decreased it from treatment of 1.5 U. Principal components analysis indicated that there were intimate relationships among soil organic matter, nitrogen nutrient, microbial biomass, and respiration. Nevertheless, microbial diversity was related to soil moisture contents after urea application. We conclude here that the application of N fertilizer improved soil microbial biomass and respiratory activity. But, microbial diversity was reduced when excessive urea was applied in the tested paddy soil.

Drought stress is one of the major constraints to rice (Oryza sativa L.) production and yield stability especially in rainfed ecosystems and is getting worse as the climate changes worldwide. Dongxiang wild rice (DXWR) Oryza rufipogon Griff., contains drought resistant gene. Improving drought resistance of cultivars is crucial to increase and stabilize rice grain yield via transferring resistant gene from species related to rice. In this paper, four upland rice, sixty backcross inbred lines (BILs) derived from BC1F5 of R974//DXWR/R974, and their parents were employed to evaluate drought-resistance at seedling stage in the greenhouse. Nine traits were recorded for assessment of drought resistance, including maximum root length (MRL), number of roots (NR), shoot length (SL), dry root weight (DRW), fresh root weight (FRW), root relative water content (RRWC), leaf relative water content (LRWC), level for rolling leaf (LRL), and seedling survivability under repeat drought (SSRD). Using more than 88% of accumulative contribution resulted from the principal component analysis (PCA), the nine traits were classified into five independent principal components and the line 1949 showed the highest resistance. Analysis on the stepwise regression equation and correlation demonstrated that MRL, RN, FRW, and RRWC significantly influenced the drought resistance, thus could be used as comprehensive index for drought resistance at the seedling stage. Using the major gene plus polygene mixed inheritance model of quantitative traits, the inheritance of drought-resistance of BIL population at seedling stage was mostly controlled by two independent genes plus polygene. As a result, the DXWR could be precious resources for genetic improvement of drought resistance in cultivated rice.